University of Perpetual Help head coach Frankie Lim. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Slowly but surely, University of Perpetual Help is making a serious case for a Final Four slot.
The Altas on Tuesday kept winning after crushing the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers for their third straight victory to join the College of St. Benilde Blazers in fourth place.
“I spoke to my players and I told them that situation is presenting itself to you. It’s just up to you guys if you wanna embrace it or you wanna leave it,” Perpetual Help head coach Frankie Lim told reporters. “And that was the challenge to them.”
His players got the message but it took the final quarter for the Altas to put away the pesky Bombers.
Perpetual Help also needed its Nigerian big man Prince Eze to impose his will late in the game.
“I just told him (Eze), ‘it’s crunch time so you gotta make your shots underneath and you gotta work,’” Lim said.
Eze scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. He also hauled down 13 rebounds.
But while Eze led the Altas’ finishing kick, it was AJ Coronel who set the tone.
Coronel had the hot hand early to finish with a career-best 22 points, 15 coming in the first half.
The Altas chalked up their eighth win in 13 games but Lim believes the real test is still ahead of them with a make-or-break three-game stretch coming up.
“These next three games are very crucial for us. We need to keep going. Not to give pressure to them but it’s a must because our last two games will be against Letran and San Beda,” said Lim.
“If we take care of business early then I think we can enter the Final Four.”